Heretofore a variety of different wheeled carriages or platforms have been provided for movably and/or adjustably supporting devices which perform disparate functions.
One such device is the line marking device of U.S. Pat. No. 4,892,251 granted on Jan. 9, 1990 to Harrison Bresnen. An airless paint spray mechanism is adjustably attached to a four-wheeled carrier to deliver a trapezoidal paint spray to the surface of a road or pavement to mark stripes of varying widths.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,265,805 granted on Nov. 30, 1993 to Steven M. Artenian discloses an apparatus for cleaning parking lots, sidewalks and the like utilizing hot pressurized water which sprays downwardly within a manifold similar to a lawnmower chassis. A group of spray nozzles rotate in a plane parallel to the surface which is to be cleaned, and the chassis includes two rear wheels and a single forward wheel for easing movement during cleaning.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,898,970 granted on May 4, 1999 to John H. Straiton discloses another ground surface cleaner, and though the cleaning nozzle associated therewith is not mounted on a platform, ancillary mechanisms are so mounted and the platform includes rollers or wheels.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,191,590 granted on Mar. 4, 1980 to John J. Sundheim is another example of an apparatus for cleaning ground surfaces by utilizing a mechanism similar to a lawnmower except the mechanism utilizes rotating nozzles to create high pressure/velocity sprays directed at the surface to be cleaned.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,462,328 granted on Jul. 31, 1984 to Steven W. Oram discloses a cleaning device for removing foulant from the hull of seagoing vessels which includes a carriage of a generally triangular configuration having three wheels associated therewith.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,267,301 B1 granted on Jul. 31, 2001 to Tommy Hall is another example of a pressure washer assembly which includes a polygonal base, two rear wheels and a single front guide wheel. A pair of sidewise directed nozzles are carried by the assembly to facilitate the power washing/cleaning of curbs.
Other typical prior art selected during a search of the present invention is found in the below listed patent and patent application publications:
U.S. Pat. No. 6,105,204Aug. 24, 2000SchwaratPub. No.: US 2002/0184729 A1Dec. 12, 2002FarinaPub. No.: US 2002/0190145 A1Dec. 19, 2002Sheppard, Jr.Pub. No.: US 2003/0010852 A1Jan. 16, 2003Schommer
The devices of the latter patent and patent application publication singularly and collectively achieve specific intended purposes, but all are characterized by one or more structural, functional or manufacturing disadvantages. For example, most of the devices are very large, cumbersome, constructed from a multiplicity of parts, are very expensive to manufacture, assembly thereof is obviously time-consuming and costly, and from a functional standpoint, the devices cannot be readily, reliably and easily manually manipulated to direct high velocity spray to precise and difficult-to-access areas.